Safety? PU shaw!

In my husband's family, I am the obnoxious sister-in-law. He has THREE sisters. It is a party for me, let me tell ya. They are nice enough to my face. We can actually go to his mother's and enjoy Christmas. So I don't bitch a lot. I am restrained and do not tell them my opinion - very much. They are restrained and do not tell me their opinion - to my face. They are nice enough to bitch about me to my husband when I am not around.

There are a lot of reasons to dislike me.

- I actually decorate my house.

- I buy my clothes at stores other than Walmart.

- I buy my kids clothes at stores other than Walmart.

- I pay more that $15 for a hair cut.

- I spend time making art.

- I don't spend enough time selling my art to justify doing it.

- I spend too much time selling my art to justify doing it.

- I have too many rich friends.

- I put my kids in private school (actual quote: "Well, if you put them in your neighborhood school and they do get beaten up by thugs, they will learn to toughen up.")

- I have not moved to the small town they all live in.

- I don't make my husband do enough.

- I make my husband do too much.

This is my personal favorite: I MAKE MY CHILDREN SIT IN CARSEATS!

Don't you think I am crazy?!?

These are people who ride around holding a two year old in their lap as they are driving down to the Walmart. Since I gave birth to my son years ago this has been an issue. I would make my in-laws put the baby carrier in the back seat when they were taking him home for a visit. This just chapped my mother-in-law because that forced her to sit back there if she wanted to look at the baby. I am just a worrywart about that silly old airbag!

My sisters-in-law roll their eyes at me A LOT about this. Today my husband's oldest sister came by to take the kids to the zoo. It was very sweet of her. I don't mind that she hangs out with the kids in spite of the fact that she obviously loathes me.

I offered to let her take my van so we wouldn't have to move the seats. She said that she wouldn't feel comfortable driving my car. So then I proceed to go out to get the carseats to put them in her car.

We have two kids that have to sit in them. They are just booster seats and I don't think they are such big a deal. But to her they are. WHY? Ugh! Again, for the 100th time - Why do they need carseats? Aren't they getting old enough just to sit in the seat?

Well, NO! Ironically, the State of Oklahoma passed a booster seat law last year. The fine is $240 if a child under 5' or under 80 pounds is not in a booster seat. The LAW is on my side. Austin, our oldest is tall enough and weighs enough to get out of the booster. But Ms. P only weighs 68 pound and is 4'4" tall. And of course, Saw is only in Kindergarten and has a good two or three years left in his seat.

Why, honestly, would you care if you were taking my kids somewhere and I wanted them in carseats? What is the big thing that makes my in-laws get so miffed about this? When we were getting the seats out of our van M. stood there and still said "you guys are just silly."

I swear I could just strangle this woman. But I didn't. I just smiled at her and kept my mouth shut.

Like a good sister-in-law.